Rail-splice for railways



odel.)

s. M. PREVOST.

LIGE FOR RAILWAYS.

Patented Mar. 29, 1887.

HUI "m 21! UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SUTHERLAND M. PREVOST, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL-SPLICE FOR RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION fanning part of Letters Patent No. 360,047, dated March 29, 1887.

Application tiled September 20, 1886. Serial No. 113,990.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SUTHERLAND M. PRE- VOsT, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have inventeda new and useful Improvement in Rail-splices for Railways, of which the following is a true and exact description, due reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part hereof.

It is well known that the'fislrplates or splices by which the rails ofarailway-line are united are subjected to great strains, and that even among the best-known splices a very large percentage is broken in use. Among the better class of splices is whatis known as the doubleangle splice, which is fitted between the head and base of the rail, and provided with a flange which extends along the upper face of the rail-base and down over its edges to or a little below the bottom surface of the rail, so that it rests upon the supporting-ties. By this construction the ends of the rails are usually supported on'the splices, and as the spikes do not come in contact with the rails at this point their alignment is made altogether through the splice.

The described form of the double angle splice in use is intended not only to allow it to rest upon the ties and support the rails, as described, but also to strengthen it against strains caused by a weight tending to bear it down in the center, this strain being generally assumed to he the most severe of those to which the splice is subjected. I have, however, ascertained that these splices are most frequently broken from the top downward, a crack usually beginning near the rail-joint and at the top of the splice and running toward the nearest bolt-hole in the direction of the travel 011 the track, this fact indicating that the destructive strain on the splice is one which requires rather tensional strength than power to resist compression; and the object of my invention is to provide an improved double-angle splice which shall be stronger to resist harmful strains in use than the ones now in use, and at the same time so constructed that the spikes may rest against the rail directly, while providing against any creeping orlongitudinal movement of the rails as well as is done by the present splices. Additional (No model.)

advantages which I seek and obtain by my improved construction are that the splice is entirely removed from the ties, thus changing the strains to which it is subjected and relieving the bolts and spikes from strains, which, by reason of the leverage afforded by the projecting edges of the splice, have been very se vere; and I make a considerable saving in the metal required to make the splice.

Reference being now had to the drawings which illustrate my invention, Figure 1 is a plan view of a railway-track at the junction of two rails and having my improved splice; and Fig. 2,a vertical cross-section of the same,taken through a point where the spikes are inserted.

A A are the rails, having the usual flanged base, a a. B B are ties; 6, my improved double-angle splice, the head 0 of which fits, as usual, under the base of the rail, and near its outer edge extends downward and outward in a plane, 0, which approximately corresponds with the outline of the wheel-flange. The innerside of the head 0 curves downward, as shown at 0", the outline being such as will insure its clearing the shank of the rail while approximately followingitsoutline. Thcbottom flange or base, 0, of my splice has an extension, ciwhich projects slightly (say a quarter of an inch) beyond the rail-base a, and notches D are formed in the bottom flange, which extend in beyond the extension 0 E E are the spikes by which the rails are secured to the ties.

F F and G G are respectively the bolts and nuts by which the splices are secured to the rails.

My splices are secured to the rails in the usual way, and the rails tightly clamped be tween them by means of the bolts F F, the heads 0 of the splices filling all available space immediately under the head of the rail. The spikes E are then inserted in the notches D, so that they rest against the edge of the rail-base a,and driveninto the ties. The alignment of the track is thus made at the joints, as through the length of the rails, by direct contact with the spikes, and at the same time any creeping of the rail is effectually prevented by reason of the engagement of the spikes in the notches D of the splice,

The splice does not come in contact with the ties, and the harmfulstrains before referred'to are thus avoided.

Having now described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 15-

1. A. double-angle rail-splice having a bottom flange the lower surface of which has the same angle of inclination as the upper surface of the rail-base, said fiange projecting beyond the rail-base,but above the bottom ofthe same, and being provided with spike-notches, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. A double-angle rail-splice having a bottom flange the lower surface of which has the same angle of inclination as the upper surface of the rail-base, said flange proj ecting beyond the rail-base,but above the bottom of the same, and being provided with spike-notches which permit the spikes to come in contact with the edges of the rail-base, the said spikes overlapping the said bottom flange and clamping it upon said rail-base, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

. ward in a line, a, corresponding with the outline of a wheel-flange, and its inner side, 0 curved to correspond with the outline of the rail-shank, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

SUTHERYLAND M. PREVOST.

Witnesses:

JAs. MOCARTNEY, H. F. Cox. 

